Paramedics gave Palatine man a new life, one that's lasted 17 years

Terry Caldwell of Palatine celebrated his birthday last week, but he doesn't think of himself as turning 58. Instead, he and his family think of him as a mere teenager, marking his "17th" birthday.

It has been 17 years, they say, since he was brought back to life after suffering a massive heart attack. Literally. When Arlington Heights paramedics arrived at his home in 1993, he was not breathing and had only a slight pulse.

Nathan, the second of his four children, woke up at the sound of the ambulance and walked out into the hall. He remembers a police officer escorting him from his bedroom and trying to block his view of paramedics working on his father.

"It was terrible watching him being carried down the stairs," says Nathan, now 30. "They were still working on him."

To this day, Bill Dressel, one of the paramedics who answered the call, still remembers the little redheaded boy who turned to him before they left.

"Please save my Daddy," Dressel recalls him saying.

He did. Although Dressel didn't find out until the next day, hospital officials were able to revive Caldwell that night, and over the next few months, after having quadruple bypass surgery and later having a pacemaker installed, he gradually resumed his normal life.

"He gave me my life back," Caldwell says. "I'll never be able to thank him enough."

Earlier this month, Caldwell rejoiced with other family members at Nathan's wedding, held in Spring Grove. He also watched with pride as his oldest son, Eric, earned his master's degree in business administration from the University of Illinois. His youngest children, twins Timothy and Stephanie, will be seniors there.

"It's wonderful to be able to watch them grow up," Caldwell says. "And I have two grandchildren now. I am so fortunate to be able to participate in their lives."

As vividly as Caldwell and his family recall that fateful night, so does the paramedic who responded to the call.

Bill Dressel retired this month after nearly 41 years with the village of Arlington Heights, making him the longest serving firefighter and paramedic member in the fire department.

He also was the last of the original paramedic class trained at Northwest Community Hospital to retire. He was among that first group of suburban firefighters to be trained in advanced life support under a new Emergency Medicine System started at the hospital in 1972 by emergency room physician Dr. Stanley Zydlo.

Before he retired, Dressel reflected on his long career, and particularly about the enhanced capabilities of paramedics after receiving the advanced life support training.

"Being on an ambulance and not knowing advanced life support, we lost a lot of people," Dressel says. "I wanted to be able to help individuals the best I could."

When asked about some of his more memorable cases, he immediately recalled Cardwell's story, both because of his son's heart-wrenching request, and because of the circumstances.

"I was around the same age at the time, with young children," Dressel said. "It definitely shook me up."

The two men met three months after the episode, when Caldwell went to the fire station to thank Dressel.

"He told me how hard they worked on me, just to get a pulse," Caldwell says. "Even back then, he had tears in his eyes as he was describing it."

The good news is both have gone on to enjoy full lives. Caldwell returned to work after nearly six months of rehabilitation. He now is a consultant with Siemens. He also loves to fish and take vigorous walks at least three to four times a week.

Dressel works out daily, incorporating healthy lifestyle changes that he gleaned after so many years of responding to calls to treat patients with heart problems. But he also has resolved to continue teaching CPR and first aid techniques.

"It's been such a rewarding job," said Dressel, 65, who lives in Roselle. "I can't even begin to tell you."